After donning pink for the first time in the 2018 VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the ‘Cancer Out’ initiative, fans took a liking to the colour. Our training jerseys were also pink in colour, and the players stood out; even when you were at a fair distance from them. We have absolutely loved the blue that we sported all these years, with a tinge of gold. However, as Rajasthan Royals’ Lead Owner puts it in light humour, “too many teams have copied our colours over the years.” Having said that, pink has always been quite integral to the Rajasthan Royals setup.

If we walk down memory lane and revisit the inaugural IPL season, we had a companion that would travel with us for all our games – the pink doll. The doll was our very own punisher, for those who fall short of our coaches’ disciplinary yardsticks. The pink doll became a symbol of sorts among our players, and they absolutely loved the punishment angle to it, so much so, that they even played pranks on players so that the doll would punish them.

Pink is a colour that Rajasthan owns, and Rajasthan Royals have adopted it with gusto. Jaipur is called the Pink City due to the terracotta pink stone that was used to construct most of the city’s old buildings. The city then went on to adopt the colour for most of its later constructions. Jodhpur, another celebrated city in Rajasthan, is known for its pink sandstone. The textile industry in Jaisalmer Is renowned for pink textile embroidery. The pink marble produced across Rajasthan is found in Udaipur. Across the massive state, you will find Rajasthani men donning pink turbans and women, pink sarees. Pink makes Rajasthan stand-out from the rest.

Aren’t these reasons enough for us to turn pink, leading up to our tenth season in the IPL? We are proud to don this colour and stand out among the eight teams in the greatest sporting carnival in India. In the previous season, we donned pink when we met Chennai Super Kings at home on 11th May. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium had a different aura about it, and our players looked sharp. We took up the cause to help the fight against cancer across the state, and to show support, came out with the pink jersey for the game. Our players walked on to the field and off it with their heads held high. This year, Rajasthan Royals have taken pink to the next level by owning the colour.

Our captain, Ajinkya Rahane, has voiced his affinity towards the colour, and recalls how he felt when the team put it on last year. “We all are really excited about this year. We are going to wear pink. Last year, we had worn pink to spread cancer awareness and the response we got from our fans was overwhelming. We absolutely loved their reactions to the pink jersey. We then decided that what our fans like, we will go with that.”

Sairaj Bahutule, our spin bowling coach saw it coming last year itself when he saw how the Royals fans reacted at our fortress. “The fans loved this colour and showed a lot of positivity around it. The entire crowd goes crazy about this pink colour, and this year, it’s much brighter. It portrays positivity and we are keen on wearing the pink gear. I’m sure we will do well in the coming season.”

Now, what do the Royals have in store for their fans? Firstly, they are kicked about donning our new colour, and wore it with pride during our pre-season camp. They were beaming with surprise and excitement, and posed at will in front of the cameras for us. Secondly, from what we witnessed during the pink match last season, Rajasthan Royals will look to take the IPL, not just by storm, but by a pink sandstorm. Sit back, support us, and watch us shine brighter than anything else in IPL 2019.

The Royals brand stands for resilience, commitment, intensity and a never-say-die attitude. With roots in the culturally rich state of Rajasthan, the Rajasthan Royals are impassioned by indomitable qualities of strength, courage and fighting prowess which personify the brand. Rajasthan Royals, the brand itself identifies with the distinguished qualities of elegance, style, valour and class which are synonymous with the culture and people of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Royals is born from the commitment to entertain cricket fans and unearth new talent across the globe, predominantly in India. The Royals, ever since their inception, have been in the forefront in terms of nurturing and promoting new talent. These qualities have made the Rajasthan Royals one of the most loved teams in India.